Summer time will not be our favourite time to go to Walt Disney World. As a lot ought to be apparent from the truth that there’s an over 3 month hole after early Could on our beneficial facet of our listing of the 10 Finest and 10 Worst Weeks to Go to Walt Disney World in 2025 & 2026.
The excellent news is that solely a few weeks in summer season make the worst listing, too. As we’ve been pointing for years, and reiterated once more in final yr’s Summer time (Nonetheless) Is NOT Excessive Crowds Season at Walt Disney World, attendance has been trending down from June by means of August. There are a variety of explanations for this, however even at its busiest, summer season was by no means as dangerous as Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New 12 months’s, or another extra consolidated college breaks. Having a number of months off at all times meant that crowds had been extra unfold out.
Throughout a latest panel at Walt Disney World, I heard from executives who corroborated this and indicated that the shift has been extra pronounced in the previous couple of years. As with a lot else, the post-COVID interval has modified journey patterns. Extra dad and mom are prepared to drag their children out of college all through the tutorial yr, or are prepared to take shorter journeys all through yr. Winter has seen a rise in demand (a pattern that predates “revenge journey”), and Walt Disney World reportedly recorded its highest resort occupancy ranges over a 10-week stretch that led to March.
Regardless of all of this, there’s nonetheless the misperception that winter is low season and summer season is peak season. Despite the fact that the trendline has been altering for nearly a decade at this level, trip planners nonetheless base journey selections on outdated data. It takes some time for ‘typical knowledge’ to alter.
Walt Disney World management primarily confirmed as a lot, revealing that their pre-visit surveys present that the idea amongst potential friends is that crowds are highest in summer season. Amongst precise Walt Disney World friends, surveys reveal that the notion of crowds in summer season are the lowest. In different phrases, there’s an enormous ‘expectations vs. actuality’ chasm amongst those that go to versus those that don’t. (No such knowledge was shared for winter, in all probability as a result of it’d be considered as dangerous information, however I’m guessing it’s primarily the inverse.)
There are a variety of potential mitigating elements and explanations for this. One could be that “summer season” consists of low season dates by means of the technical finish of the season in late September. One other could be that, from the attitude of client psychology, it’s higher to be pleasantly stunned than disillusioned. Folks in January anticipate decrease crowds, so after they encounter increased ones than anticipated, it feels even worse. In contrast, summer season guests go in anticipating the worst, and are happy when wait occasions are decrease than feared.
In any case, I believed that was attention-grabbing and it corroborates what we’ve been saying right here for some time, so it appeared value sharing. The purpose is that summer season could be an expectations-exceeding time to go to, and this yr has its personal promoting factors. There’s additionally the fact that many households can solely go to throughout college breaks, and not-so-coincidentally, none of one of the best weeks of the yr on our listing above happen when college is out of session.
With all of that in thoughts, listed below are a couple of weeks we advocate visiting Walt Disney World throughout Summer time 2025:
- June 1-7, 2025
- August 3-9, 2025
- August 10-16, 2025
The final set of dates is our favourite, however all are good choices for various causes, as we’ll lay out under.
Let’s begin by speaking crowds. There actually isn’t an incredible quantity of variance in summer season crowds, and to the extent there was over the previous couple of years, it hasn’t been constant. Normally, there are a selection of things explaining anomalies, from spikes in fuel costs to climate to reductions, blockout dates, and many others. All of because of this we’ve described summer season crowd calendars as snake oil.
Typical knowledge was once that the weeks round Fourth of July had been the peaks, with crowds steadily constructing to that and declining after. That hasn’t been the case shortly, although, In every of the final two years, the Independence Day vacation was among the many slowest stretches of summer season. I wouldn’t essentially wager on a repeat of that this yr, however I additionally wouldn’t wager in opposition to it. Increased airfare together with ticket and resort charges may hold folks away.
To the extent that there was a pattern, it’s that there are sometimes twin peaks in summer season. One across the midway level, and one which we’ve described as a “final hurrah” as vacationers scramble to take journeys earlier than college going again into session. These peaks aren’t fully constant, however have roughly been the top of June and finish of July, with Mondays and Tuesdays being particularly dangerous.
For those who can journey earlier than summer season crowds begin constructing or after the final hurrah–households don’t usually go on trip the week after their children get out of college, or the week earlier than they return into session–you’ll be in one of the best form. Therefore the above suggestions.
The very best of the bunch will likely be August 10-16, which is after Central Florida colleges return into session. There will likely be a really predictable drop that happens that week, with the one slight potential drawback being that your children may also return to high school that week. That’s why we’ve included each of these two weeks.
Again within the day, this was once one among our absolute favourite weeks to go to. Walt Disney World nonetheless ran summer season hours regardless of the falling crowds, so it was actually one of the best of each worlds. I keep in mind nearly empty second-showings of SpectroMagic and Magic Kingdom closing at midnight in low to reasonable crowd ranges.
Walt Disney World has gotten higher at attendance projections and doesn’t prolong hours practically as early as they used to, in order that hasn’t been the case for the final a number of years. Nonetheless, perhaps Magic Kingdom will keep open till 11 p.m. that week? And maybe we’ll see two performances of Starlight at a time when just one is required? That does occur with Fantasmic now and again–leisure adjustments are extra reactionary for no matter motive.
Regardless of these August weeks being again to again, there are literally a few variations between them past simply the crowds.
Walt Disney World has not but introduced the dates of Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Occasion, however the odds-on favourite begin is Friday, August 8, 2025. Thursday can also be a risk; previous precedent helps both.
In all chance, that first week will solely have one MNSSHP date, whereas the subsequent week may have two. (By no means rule out the potential for Walt Disney World cramming extra events into the schedule, particularly since these occasions have offered so properly in the previous couple of years. It looks like solely a matter of time earlier than August will get extra occasion dates.)
The wild card this yr with the Halloween and Christmas events goes to be Disney Starlight Evening Parade. You understand how crowds have gotten loopy for Fortunately Ever After on non-party nights from August by means of December? Count on that to be a lot worse with a brand-new evening parade. Everybody desirous to see Starlight–which is many friends–will likely be consolidated into fewer alternatives per week.
Truthfully, I’m not 100% positive what to anticipate from this–each when it comes to the scale of the monkey wrench Starlight may throw into attendance dynamics and what, if something, Walt Disney World will do to mitigate. It’s to the purpose that I’m nearly hesitant about making Occasion Season suggestions till we all know extra, as Disney may make main operational changes (e.g. Boo Bash) or none in any respect (odds-on favourite). However that vary of potentialities might be one other matter for one more day.
The excellent news, although, is that mid-August is sufficiently early within the Occasion Season (fewer occasions per week) and at a time when crowds are decrease that, no matter does occur, it shouldn’t make a lot of a distinction. It’ll be minimally disruptive to planners. Presumably, these August weeks may also happen after the Disney Starlight Evening Parade has been working for a bit, so preliminary demand may have died down. In an ideal world, this could be the ‘candy spot’ between intervals of large parade crowds.
That is “in an ideal world” as a result of there’s nonetheless no date for Starlight’s debut. That’s one more reason we’re hesitant to advocate dates earlier in the summertime.
Even when I believed Independence Day or the week thereafter was prone to see a dip based mostly on latest precedent–and that plus the prospect of enhanced leisure and longer hours made it interesting–I’d be hesitant to advocate dates across the Fourth of July. The brand new parade very properly would possibly find yourself debuting that week, and precedent could be irrelevant. It’d be very busy. Or Starlight may also miss that week, wherein case it will be a foul choose for parade followers.
Later in summer season will increase the chances not solely of Disney Starlight Evening Parade’s debut, but in addition its preliminary demand to have died down. If we needed to make a shot at midnight guess, we’d say there’s an above 50% probability the brand new nighttime parade will debut within the second half of June. However that’s not 100%, and there’s nonetheless an opportunity it slips to July. (As talked about beforehand, we aren’t reserving our personal journey till a date is introduced for Starlight.)
It’s an identical story with Check Monitor 3.0. Formally, that is slated to open in late Summer time 2025, which ought to imply July. However Walt Disney World has been fairly dangerous at assembly deadlines currently, so I’m taking that with a grain of salt.
Personally, if Check Monitor had been my must-see, I’d plan a go to in early October 2025. Check Monitor will not be my must-see, so I’m assuming it received’t be open throughout our summer season journey and will likely be pleasantly stunned whether it is. Nonetheless, an August go to will increase the chances of attending to expertise that.
On the intersection of latest issues and crowds is Common’s Epic Universe. Our expectation is that this new park goes to have an preliminary rush for its first couple of weeks, throughout which it’s very busy. However after that?
Early ticketing insurance policies, a scarcity of Annual Passes, and locals getting first visits out of their system (common Floridians and present UOAPs aren’t going to purchase a number of single day tickets–they’ll make a go to or two, after which anticipate offers or APs) would possibly lead to a slower than anticipated summer season. That would attain a crescendo in August as college goes again into session and vacationers anticipate Halloween Horror Nights season to start out.
So why the June dates in any respect? For individuals who don’t care about any of that.
If I weren’t a fan of evening parades, it will behoove me to go to Walt Disney World this summer season earlier than Starlight begins. We don’t know when, precisely, that’ll be, but it surely’s nearly definitely not beginning inside every week of Memorial Day. And even when it does, the ship is beginning to sail on capturing visits since Walt Disney World already introduced the summer season kickoff slate and it wasn’t included.
As famous above, going earlier than summer season crowds begin to construct or after the final hurrah is perfect. The August dates cowl the latter. The June dates cowl the previous. Early June can also be, on common, the least scorching time of summer season. June 1-7 has a mean day by day low of 72° and common excessive of 89°. In contrast, the August dates common a low of 76° and 91° on the excessive finish of the spectrum.
Clearly, these are averages and so they’re shut sufficient that you would find yourself having worse climate in early June than mid-August. However as somebody who lived in Central Florida for a number of years and has visited even longer, I’ll roll the cube on early June over mid-August. With out wanting up the stats, I’d’ve guessed there was a a lot larger unfold. (My notion is that June has nicer mornings and evenings, whereas August is depressing from the time you get up till you fall asleep, with solely a slight reprieve when the solar goes down. YMMV.)
Climate is value underscoring. Higher “consciousness” of Florida’s oppressively scorching and humid temperatures is probably going one large motive why summer season has been slower lately. Even when my notion is that crowds are actually decrease in the summertime than winter, I’d nonetheless take the latter with increased wait occasions however a qualitatively higher expertise.
The actual fact is that warmth, humidity, and hurricanes are a bet anytime from June by means of October. We don’t need to belabor the purpose, so for those who’re on the fence about this tradeoff, see Is It Nonetheless Value Visiting In the course of the Early Fall Offseason at Walt Disney World? for a higher dialogue of climate vs. crowds.
One last issue that’s value mentioning is that every one three of those weeks will likely be among the many most cost-effective of summer season at Walt Disney World.
Rack charges on the resorts are just about the identical from late Could by means of early August (with a spike round Independence Day), so the June set of dates isn’t any cheaper on the lodge facet than any weeks that observe. Nonetheless, each units of August dates are cheaper. (The week after each is even cheaper, however that’s after most colleges return into session, and we’re making an attempt to make suggestions for households.)
Extra importantly, all three units of dates are going to be one of the best from the attitude of reductions. If you wish to reap the benefits of both ticket offers, these dates will likely be cheaper than the remainder of summer season. From what we are able to see, you’ll even have extra choices on the room low cost facet of issues. Free Eating is now not accessible for the June dates, however we’re speaking saving cash–not spending extra of it!
Finally, that’s our thought course of on one of the best weeks for households to go to Walt Disney World in Summer time 2025. Once more, the entire level of that is suggestions for planners with children in class who must work round these schedules. For those who don’t, both go every week or two later and even earlier (for those who don’t care about Starlight).
Shoulder season ought to be a good time for decrease crowds, because it’ll be the calm earlier than the storm (if there’s a storm) with Epic Universe and Walt Disney World’s summer season additions. The late August and September low season is reliably uncrowded, and this yr ought to be no completely different, with the doable exception of no matter occurs with Starlight throughout Occasion Season.
For those who’re a household planning a summer season trip to Walt Disney World and none of those dates work, the logic ought to nonetheless apply so you possibly can slender down dates that work greatest for you. Exterior of those weeks, it’s unattainable to foretell variations in crowd ranges, so that you shouldn’t even trouble (until you wait to guide till after Starlight’s debut date is introduced). Past that, the most important consider summer season journeys is climate, and that’s at all times going be a wildcard.
Planning a Walt Disney World journey? Find out about lodges on our Walt Disney World Resorts Opinions web page. For the place to eat, learn our Walt Disney World Restaurant Opinions. To save cash on tickets or decide which sort to purchase, learn our Suggestions for Saving Cash on Walt Disney World Tickets submit. Our What to Pack for Disney Journeys submit takes a singular have a look at intelligent objects to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Experience Guides will assist. For complete recommendation, one of the best place to start out is our Walt Disney World Journey Planning Information for every part you have to know!
YOUR THOUGHTS
For those who’ve finished Walt Disney World in mid-August, what was your expertise? Was it value hitting the cheaper dates and decrease crowds, or was the climate too scorching and humid? Expectations about Starlight throughout Occasion Season? Ideas about anything lined right here? For those who’re a frequent customer throughout this timeframe, what’s your tackle crowds, wait occasions, seasonal choices, climate, and many others? Agree or disagree with our evaluation? Any questions we will help you reply? Listening to your suggestions is each attention-grabbing to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas under within the feedback!
